The Book That Transforms Nations

I (Chris) have a whole section of my book shelf called "promises, promises." These are books that people have loaned or given me to read and I have said something like "Well, there are many books in the way of this one but if you don't need it for a while I'm happy to check it out." Thus, the shelf full.

I enjoy reading. I think reading is important. And, I'm quite busy. And, I generally prefer to read fiction. And I like audio books, fiction audio books.

It took me a while to get around to reading "The Book That Transforms Nations" by Loren Cunningham and Janice Rogers. It's not the kind of book I'm naturally drawn to but I'm so glad a friend pressed it into my hand.

Written in 2006, this is a wonderful overview of how the Bible has had a profound impact on nations around the world. Loren is the founder of Youth With A Mission and has literally travelled to every nation on earth. Think of the passports!

Reading Loren is a pleasure. He brims with hope and optimism. He does not gloss over the difficulties around the world. He speaks openly and honestly about the many challenges facing our world but he speaks of them from a place of hope. That makes a big difference. He holds fast to his belief that the Bible and the God it reveals are the hope of our world.

I would heartily recommend this book. You will learn things and hear stories you never knew. You will be inspired. And the biggest take away for me is how precious the Bible really is and what a miracle it is that it has come to us the way it has. When I finished this book, I wanted to immediately go and read the Bible.

You can pick it up at YWAM Publishing HERE and it's available on Amazon

Out on a limb with M. Night Shyamalan - Chris

Here I go again.

M. Night Shyamalan is releasing a new scary movie this September and it has people wondering if he'll be "back" or produce yet another disappointment. You either love a Shyamalan movie or you hate it. He has fallen from grace with the public and critics alike with his past few films. It seems people like his stuff less with each release.

I've always appreciated his style. Usually a slower, surreal pace that has often worked and sometimes not so worked. Kind of like that sentence.

I absolutely loved Signs. It may be one of my favorite movies of all time. It's my favorite Shyamalan for sure. The Last Airbender is my least favorite along with The Happening. After those, like all the rest of us, I got Shyamalan shy.

It's always bothered me that I never gave After Earth a shot. It got 11% on the Rotten Tomato site! That's pretty rotten. The studio didn't even advertise Shyamalan as the director. 

Today, I rented it and watched it.

And I really liked it. It is not at the top of the heap and not at the bottom either. It's right in the mix with The Village, Unbreakable and Lady In The Water.

Shyamalan is best when telling a small story about people in the context of a bigger happening (pun intended). You experience the story from the small view of the characters. In this way, After Earth is spot on. 

Critics were put off by the funny accents. I found it a creative tool to think about how the English accent would evolve in the future. Others were put off by the Smith's producing and contributing to the story but this is also what critics have been saying Shyamalan has needed, partners. 

I found the suspense engaging. The danger felt real. There are some beautiful moments in this film to do with parenting, fear and letting go that made it such a good experience for me.

You don't have to like it. I did. And I would heartily recommend you give it an honest try. 

Moving Toward

Moving Toward from Chris Whitler on Vimeo.
Amie's entry into the 2015 MJC Choreographers Showcase. This piece was inspired by the support we all need to move toward the change that makes us afraid. Past the fear, there is freedom.

Update: The Save America Club!

Thanks so much to all of you who gave to Stella's idea for the Save America Club. The first initiative rolled out successfully. We were able to make 51 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for folks in the community and some pet food for their animals!

It was a good day bringing food and encouragement to folks in the park and also...getting ice cream together! Next up is cleaning up litter at the river!

Save America!

The Save America Club!

This is Stella and some of her friends from church. The have formed a group called the Save America Club. They need your help...to save America. What follows is a communication from the club's founder...

"I want to tell you about our Save America Club. First, let me tell you a little about the club. Now, I know that we are just a group of kids but this group of kids wants to try to save America.

We have 4 things that we want to face:

• We want to share food with the poor
• We want to clean up all of the trash
• We want to feed the animals at the animal shelter
• We want to paint out graffiti

We are asking for money because we are focused on our first thing which is sharing food with the poor. We need money to buy peanut butter, jelly, bread and water bottles. So please donate to the Save America Club."

The club will be making and distributing sandwiches on Saturday, March 21. Any extra they raise will go toward next months initiative (cleaning up trash).

If you would like to give to the Save America peanut butter sandwich initiative, you can give online at our one time gift paypal button at http://ywammodesto.org

A Wonderful Day

Yesterday was my (Chris) birthday. I am 44. It’s always been easy to remember how old I am because I was born in 1970. Middle aged birthdays are, well, not like young birthdays (here’s the part where I feel a little sorry for myself). I worked all day yesterday from the morning till about 8:30 pm. I was describing it to a friend last night who wanted to know if I’d had a wonderful day. I told him that I hadn’t really had a wonderful day. I was mostly ok with that (Tuesdays are always our family's longest day) and Amie and the kids cooked me a really nice dinner and cake, which was delicious. The day was busy. And part of my afternoon was spent dealing with two bills (you know, the ones that come printed on "pink" paper?).

For many reasons, it just wasn't a wonderful day.

Or was it?

On November 4, 1970, I almost died. When I was born, my lungs refused to work. I had something called “Infant respiratory distress syndrome.” The hospital I was born in wasn’t even equipped to take care of it. There were no ambulances near (1970 remember) so the nurse informed my Dad that if I was to survive, he would have to drive me to the other hospital where I could receive treatment.

Dad told me that he felt like he was in a dream. A nurse held me in the back seat and another rode shotgun and told him which way to turn. Dad said to me at almost every birthday growing up, “Those nuns saved your life!”

I am not at the age where one receives very many gifts for his birthday. And I’m fine with that. I don’t need any more stuff. What I mostly received for my birthday were well wishes (for “a wonderful day”…thank you Facebook) and a nice meal with my family. And those were really nice.

But the real gift? 44 years. And right now, November 5th, my own, personal New Year's Day. I am grateful. This was my morning Psalm today.

“You are my hope;
O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth.
By You I have been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb;
My praise is continually of You.” Psalm 71: 5 & 6

A new believer.

Dear graet Pumpkin

I hope you give me lots of candy and where do you live? I want to know.
Write me back soon
Also theres a movie and you turned out to be Snoopy
One more thing, write me back and send a picture of you so I know you are real.
Try to remember.

Love,

Stella Whitler, Modesto

The Whitlers Visit Pixie Woods!

Today, we drove up to Stockton to do something we have been talking about for about 13 years...we went to Pixie Woods! It's a little park filled with playgrounds and a couple of little rides. It's Central Valley fun at it's weird, strange finest.

The small merry-go-round wasn't too fast...




There were lots of places to put your face...

Cool, old play areas...

And a little story-telling theater!

All in all, if you're prepared for a strange, fun, cool, old, odd place, then you'll like Pixie Woods!

Whitler Road Trip 2014!

Whitler Road Trip, 2014 from Chris Whitler on Vimeo.

Liner Notes from Chris' New Album "Rushing Waters"

You can download my new album for free! CLICK HERE

And listen to it right here...just over to your right :)

It’s been 2 years since “Burning Bushes” and I’m so happy to release “Rushing Waters”. The burning bush is where Moses first noticed the voice of God in the desert. In St. John’s Revelation, we’re told that the voice of Jesus is like “the sound of rushing waters.” And I guess that’s what all these songs are about...noticing the voice of Jesus speaking in nature, scripture and relationships.
Many thanks to Jimmy Sustar who has labored over these songs. He is playing almost every instrument you hear with the exception of my acoustic guitar and my son Sam on the uke (Thanks Sam!) Jimmy also volunteered to mix these songs and make them sound great!

The BGV crew is Amie, Josh, Sam and Stella Whitler, Jimmy, Kelly, Mila, Zion, Gabriel and Ezra Sustar and Aaron Alford

Aaron also provided the cover art. The photo is from a prayer chapel at the Gethsemane monastery in Bardstown, KY where you can go to hear the waters.

CMW, June 23, 2014

One Little Something - Just a little song about Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Brother Andrew, St. Francis, King David, Jesus, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr. and you.

Laughter Digs A Well - Genesis 26:12-33

The Spirit’s Tree - To really understand this song, you’d have to see my friend Aaron’s tattoo and the sculpture of it

on the mud hut library we helped build in Thailand. But you’ll get the gist.

Close The Door - a song about Noah and us.

The Man On The Tree - Inspired by things I’ve seen, things I am, Jesus, the book Eternity In Their Hearts by Don Richardson and a great song  that Jimmy wrote once.

Evidence of Good - Acts 14:16-18 (The Message)

Je Veux Voir Mon/Ma(?) Bebe Ce Soir - Every time I travel with my Dave, I write a song about how I miss my wife. This was written in Quebec and we couldn’t quite get a good idea of this phrase from the francophones but we did our best.

Ancient Stone - Written on the ferry from the mainland of BC to Vancouver Island...and yes, traveling with Dave.

Things My Grandparents Gave Me - the best inheritance I could have ever hoped for. My son Sam is playing the ukelele on this track! A proud and noble instrument.

Altar - a song for the little flock at New Hope in Modesto

Pillar of Fire - the oldest song of the bunch but seemed a good closer. Thanks for listening!

A post in which Sam graduates 8th Grade and Josh graduates High School And Sam gives a speech.

8th grade diploma! 

12th Grade diploma

The tassel!

With Great Grandma!

Back at church, the kids made an "arc de triomphe"

And Sam gives a little speech!

Chris Talks About Maintaining Hope

Shared with our home congregation here in Modesto...some thoughts after a week of surgery and stress. You can listen right here online or go to our podcast site HERE to download and/or subscribe to all future audio.

Chris talks about fellowship

This is a message I shared last week with our congregation here in Modesto in the importance of fellowship, what it meant to the early church and still means for us today. You can listen right here or go to our podcast site to down load and listen to later here... http://cwhitler.podbean.com/

An Evening With Bradford Loomis

Join us around the fire bowl for an acoustic concert with Bradford Loomis! You can check out his music at http://www.bradfordloomis.com

This concert is free but we will be accepting gifts to help Bradford get farther down the road. He'll also have CDs you can purchase.

Wed., March 19 at 6:30pm at New Hope Christian Fellowship, 300 Trask Lane, Modesto, CA 95354

Call 209-404-4027 for more info.

"...He called a child to Himself..."

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 

 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven'". Matt 18 

 A lot has been said about this passage. I attended a session on "silliness" at a conference/retreat called Hutchmoot this past October. The session was lead by Phil Vischer (the voice of Bob the Tomato and now heads up What's in The Bible) and Randall Goodgame who writes and performs some of his music for children called 'Slugs & Bugs'. His latest effort is called Sing The Bible and I think it's my favorite album of 2013. You can find out more about that HERE. 

Anyway, Randall asked our group what becoming like a little child means. What is a little child like? And our group said all the stuff you'd think we'd say. People shouted our things like innocent, joyful, creative, trusting and playful. All of which were affirmed by Randall. But then he surprised us. What about things like irritating, prideful, mean and selfish? Children are also like that. The difference is, in a healthy home, children bring all of it to their parents. They bring hurts, arguments, annoyances, work, joy, laughter, messes...everything. When things are good, when things are bad, they come to Mom and Dad for help, advice, to share and to show off, for approval, permission and blessing. 

 And that's what Jesus wants from us.

Some Pictures from the 9th Street Cafe Christmas Party

This past Monday we had our 9th Street Cafe Christmas Party with our normal coffee bar set up for the street community on South 9th. But we also brought...

Santa! All the folks loved hanging out with him.

There was a table to color ornaments for our 9th Street Christmas...

tree! Yes, that's right, we had a tree and it was beautiful. We decorated it together with all our friends and guests.

There was food

Folks

Music

And fun

And even a sock monkey (?)

There were clothes, presents for kids, extra food and plenty to go around. A great night on 9th Street! Thanks to all our friends who made it all possible.

The Rap Starz are back!

It's every other year y'all! If you've been following the Rap Starz for a few years, here's the latest offering. If you want to get the whole box set of funky Christmas raps, you can download it below.

Arley's Testimony

Recently, we celebrated a memorial for our good friend Arley who passed away this past July. 

Back in 2008, we had Arley share his testimony on film. A small portion of it was used for a ministry video. There was a lot more footage of him speaking. Thankfully, the videographer had saved the tapes and let us dig through them to find Arley sharing his heart. You can read more about Arley at Aaron's site HERE.

A good conversation on a plane.

Recently I (Chris) flew east so that I could attend a conference in Nashville and see my Dad and sister for a few days. On my stupidly early flight from San Francisco I was pleased to find that I was by the window with no one next to me. This is a great comfort to large people (and probably to smaller people too). It’s that little extra breathing room and the ability to uncross your arms and be comfy for the flight. Well, as comfy as you can be belted into a metal tube with wings at thousands of feet. Oh, when you have no one next to you and that door closes...ahhhh!

I was seated in a 3 banger row. I had the window and an older man was sitting in the aisle seat. I noticed he was reading a Christian biography about a martyr in Soviet Russia. He smiled at me and I said ‘hello’ and that was all it took to spark a great conversation. This man was so friendly and his eyes were very kind.

I was sitting next to a retired 4 star general in the Egyptian air force. He was so pleased to find out I was in Christian ministry. He had been 9 years in the U.S. to be with his children and grandchildren. He attends an evangelical church in the Bay area but every now and then visits the Coptic church to hear scripture in his own language.

What did I learn from him?

I learned about lift. 

Here are the notes from the private lecture he gave me (he taught this stuff to cadets). He is so passionate about flight and LOVES to talk about it. Even though I don’t really care about how flight works, his talk drew me in.

“Flight is one of the things man accomplished before he understood it! We did it, then we learned how it worked.”

I learned about Egypt. 

“Egypt is so much more than what you see on the news. Most people want peace. We love to laugh. We love to share food. Even my Muslim brothers treat me this way. It is the very few that want to cause trouble.”

I learned that people seldom appreciate the wonders around them.

“Many Egyptians do not understand or care to learn about ancient Egypt. many have not gone to see the pyramids!”

Me: “I know quite a few people in California that have never been to Yosemite!”

“Yes, like that.”

I learned that if you turn off your iPod or put down your book, every once in a while, you’ll be glad you did.

The Pink Room

This Wednesday, Zack, friend and regular volunteer at the 9th Street Cafe, will be hosting a film screening at the Peer Recovery Art Project in Downtown Modesto.  It's at 7pm this Wednesday. This film does not show graphic images but the film is about a graphic subjects. Parental discretion advised. Here is what Zack wrote in the facebook event page...

http://thepinkroommovie.com/

"The Pink Room follows the journey of Mien and other young girls in the turbulent world of sex slavery that at times seems unfathomable.
Mien grew up in Svay Pak, just eleven kilometers outside the capitol city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a vast and vicious epicenter of child sex slavery. This is a country notoriously renowned for its devastating genocide under the reign of Pol Pot in the 1970′s. After burying over two million of their educated and religious citizens, the children of this horrific era are now the parents. At a young age, Mien enters life in a brothel, and her virginity is sold at a high price. After her innocence is brutally stolen from her, her value becomes less and less with each purchase of her body. She is held captive and raped and sexually tortured twelve hours a day. Even when help is within reach, obstacles that appear too great to conquer squelch her dream of freedom. The Pink Room shows passionate determination in attacking the complex issue of human trafficking with an even more complex and diverse response of rescue, restoration, reintegration and prevention. This is the story of redemption, ordinary people who become unlikely heroes, Cambodians rising up with compassion to take back their country and a town’s process of rebuilding from the inside out. Mien gives hope in the midst of a blinding darkness. In a world where it is estimated that there are over one million children held captive and sexually abused, a flower blooms in the heart of Cambodia."

Refreshments will be served after the film, and t-shirts made by Mien and the others employed with AIM will be for sale.